Strike at Lufthansa to cost high single-digit million euro amount a day: CEO

Lufthansa Chief Executive Carsten Spohr said Wednesday's 24-hour walkout of its pilots was set to cost the group a high single-digit million euro amount for the day.

Spohr spoke on Tuesday following a meeting on aviation policy with German Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt, adding that he expected 75,000 passengers to be affected by the strike.

Germany's biggest airline in a statement earlier on Tuesday said it had canceled 876 out of roughly 3,000 flights scheduled for Wednesday, affecting about 100,000 passengers.

Spohr also said he was not interested in taking on more than the 40 planes from Air Berlin planned as part of a wet lease deal.

(Reporting by Markus Wacket; Writing by Tina Bellon; Editing by Victoria Bryan)